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A barracks system with a sump would be the way forward on this. I wish I could link it but can't find the specific example I read. Google it and it should be easy to find.

Essentially a shelving system with tanks like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02DP4uZReK4. The divisions would still be 4x4x4 or so. This would give you enough space to display many betta, but they would have fresh and heated water.

Beyond the initial set-up costs. Maintenance shouldn't cost any more than the equivalent set-up that the other tropical fish have.

i saw this somewhere and while their betta were more money i would have GLADLY paid it, if they had what i was looking for.

i saw the baby betta at petco, my FIRST time in a petco and i will NOT go back or ever by from them again, on-line or in-store. i cried i was so upset by the time i picked my daughter up from dance i could hardly speak.

worse yet the shipment of 'new' betta where then in their 2 TBS of water in ziplock jewlery looking bags all squished together in a big bag... it was HORRIBLE.

12-28-2012 08:54 PM

Betta132

I know a smallish pet store that keeps its bettas one female per sale tank of others things like tetras, and each male has his own .5 gallon tank. I know that's still small, but the little tanks have a good-sized wad of java moss in each one, and their bettas are the brightest I've ever seen for sale.
My local Petco is selling those babies, but all of them look well-fed, and there are little care pamphlets right next to them. The adult bettas also have good, clean water, and although they usually have at least 40 bettas, I never see more than one that looks sick. They also sell smallish adults instead of big ones, which give them more space.

Maybe they were smaller than what I stated then - I wasn't able to measure them at the time of course. I am certain that they had considerably less room in the barracks. Some of the males were literally filling up the entire space from nose to tail. Maybe it was the container shape as well, in a round cup it seems that the fish can, well, swim around a bit but they just couldm't do anything in these cubes. And to be sharing the water with all the dead neighboring fish didn't seem too great either, filtered or not. None of them looked healthy - they were dead or had rot and well they all seemed lethargic simply cause they couldn't move. It was like a fish ghetto.

That's disappointing, I don't know why they would build them that small. It's a good system when setup correctly.

12-26-2012 06:09 AM

wendyjo

Maybe they were smaller than what I stated then - I wasn't able to measure them at the time of course. I am certain that they had considerably less room in the barracks. Some of the males were literally filling up the entire space from nose to tail. Maybe it was the container shape as well, in a round cup it seems that the fish can, well, swim around a bit but they just couldm't do anything in these cubes. And to be sharing the water with all the dead neighboring fish didn't seem too great either, filtered or not. None of them looked healthy - they were dead or had rot and well they all seemed lethargic simply cause they couldn't move. It was like a fish ghetto.

I don't know exactly how it was set up. I do know that some of the fish were unlucky enough to be in a cube of the system that had the outflow in it, and they were literally pinned up against the side from the force. The barracks were in a single line along the back wall directly above all above the other, larger tanks so it's possible they all ran on the same system. I'd guesstimate that each cube in the barracks was about 3.5" square - not even sure about that as it was hard to tell the depth of them. But they looked like they were in little picture frames and the big guys couldn't move around at all. It made the cups look like mansions. I was totally horrified and had a fit right there in the store, and I never do stuff like that. Told the store manager he should be ashamed of himself, that those were living creatures not toys for display, that I wouldn't be spending another cent at his store and that I'd be contacting HQ about it.

Sorry, but you're making no sense to me. Maybe I've had too much Christmas turkey and am a little sleepy.

Those cups that betta are usually sold in are between 3 and 4 inches. So they were in the same size container, except that they had fresh water.

You were upset about that? All they had to do was close the water inflow valve a bit to slow the flow to be reasonable. Then move the one betta out of the overflow end cube.

Remember those cups they are in are just display containers while the betta are waiting to be bought. It's not a permanent home, just as the 3x4 cages that the puppies are in are not permanent.

Again no offense, I didn't see the set-up and might be misunderstanding you. But it seems as though it just needed to be tweaked.

Edit: I love betta and believe their permanent homes should be no smaller than a standard 2.5 or 5 gallon (2.5 only if it's planted).

They made a barracks system with tanks smaller than the cups? Are you kidding? If it had a lot of dead fish, they were doing it wrong.
Did it have a sump, with water flow and a heater? Or was it just a bunch of small stagnant tanks conjoined?

I don't know exactly how it was set up. I do know that some of the fish were unlucky enough to be in a cube of the system that had the outflow in it, and they were literally pinned up against the side from the force. The barracks were in a single line along the back wall directly above all above the other, larger tanks so it's possible they all ran on the same system. I'd guesstimate that each cube in the barracks was about 3.5" square - not even sure about that as it was hard to tell the depth of them. But they looked like they were in little picture frames and the big guys couldn't move around at all. It made the cups look like mansions. I was totally horrified and had a fit right there in the store, and I never do stuff like that. Told the store manager he should be ashamed of himself, that those were living creatures not toys for display, that I wouldn't be spending another cent at his store and that I'd be contacting HQ about it.

I worked in a local fish store where we sold Bettas. I always felt bad for them but all I could do was change out thier water each evening and try to prevent children from grabing and shaking them. My question for you guys is how would you sell them?

In dedicated 5 gallon tanks? People like a variety to choose from, so you have to have at least 10. Even if you sold them in the main system in divided tanks that is a lot of space (5 divided ten gallon tanks) for one species. Either way it is a lot of equipment and time for cleaning that would have to be dedicate to betta sales, the price would have to come up a lot! And in turn customers would have to be willing to pay it.

Personally as a customer and previous employee at a fish store, I think people should pay more for fish and fish stores should put the money in to better, more comfortable systems.

When I used to work for a fish store, we had them up on a shelf where kids couldn't mess with them in bowls a bit larger than the ones you see at petco. We did water changes 1 to 2 times weekly, I really don't see a better way to sell them unless you had a 4 foot section of divided 5 gallon tanks.

One of the chains by me (not Petco) installed a barracks system for their bettas and that is the only time I have ever complained about inhumane conditions. The barracks were much smaller than the cups - a large male couldn't even turn around in them. They were awful and had alot more dead fish than any cup rack I've ever seen. I complained to the department manager, the store manager and then went home and complained to HQ. They did finally stop using it - I have to imagine others complained as well. I got really loud in that store with the store manager - I was really pissed about it.

They made a barracks system with tanks smaller than the cups? Are you kidding? If it had a lot of dead fish, they were doing it wrong.
Did it have a sump, with water flow and a heater? Or was it just a bunch of small stagnant tanks conjoined?

12-26-2012 01:09 AM

wendyjo

One of the chains by me (not Petco) installed a barracks system for their bettas and that is the only time I have ever complained about inhumane conditions. The barracks were much smaller than the cups - a large male couldn't even turn around in them. They were awful and had alot more dead fish than any cup rack I've ever seen. I complained to the department manager, the store manager and then went home and complained to HQ. They did finally stop using it - I have to imagine others complained as well. I got really loud in that store with the store manager - I was really pissed about it.

I worked in a local fish store where we sold Bettas. I always felt bad for them but all I could do was change out thier water each evening and try to prevent children from grabing and shaking them. My question for you guys is how would you sell them?

In dedicated 5 gallon tanks? People like a variety to choose from, so you have to have at least 10. Even if you sold them in the main system in divided tanks that is a lot of space (5 divided ten gallon tanks) for one species. Either way it is a lot of equipment and time for cleaning that would have to be dedicate to betta sales, the price would have to come up a lot! And in turn customers would have to be willing to pay it.

Personally as a customer and previous employee at a fish store, I think people should pay more for fish and fish stores should put the money in to better, more comfortable systems.

A barracks system with a sump would be the way forward on this. I wish I could link it but can't find the specific example I read. Google it and it should be easy to find.

Essentially a shelving system with tanks like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02DP4uZReK4. The divisions would still be 4x4x4 or so. This would give you enough space to display many betta, but they would have fresh and heated water.

Beyond the initial set-up costs. Maintenance shouldn't cost any more than the equivalent set-up that the other tropical fish have.

12-25-2012 08:38 PM

In.a.Box

People complain to much, if betta can.live.together in a tank u wouldn't see this happen.
Most betta at.petco and petsmart sell fast, keeping them in small jar is ok since mOst of them will be.sold within a week. The other that don't get sell should get a water change but sadly they don't.

The last time I was in Walmart, I nearly threw up when passing the fish area. Even more sickening, was that a bottle of Ich treatment was still on the wet counter. Dead fish in every tank with live ones pecking away at them.

There should be some way of collectively complaining enough to get something done. I've seen this in other states too. I travel a lot, and I've seen the same things in at least four states-- just from happening upon the fish area at the same moment I happened to be at WalMart. Random times, random dates-- 'ya know.

Start with the store manager, not the department manager. This will get visibility on the problem from the position that it needs to come from. Mention health hazard, unhygienic, disgusting and deplorable as many times as you can in the conversation. Check back in a few days later to see if the problem is fixed.

If it is not then get the store number (you can find that on one of your receipts in the top few lines) and the store managers name. Call 1-800-WALMART and relate your story to them. Recount the number of times you complained an the lack of attention that living creatures are receiving, this is also a good time to mention unhygienic as many times as possible. Have others call in as well, this is the number to the corporate headquarters in Arkansas.

Corporate will yell at the regional manager about unsanitary conditions and unhappy customers, who in turn will come down to your store and yell at the store manager about it.

If you do that, one of two things will happen.
1) That store will force its employees to do their job and maintain the tanks.
2) The store doesn't keep things clean. You keep calling 1-800-WALMART and complaining. Eventually corporate will be forced to shut down the sale of live animals and will sell only tanks and other dry goods.

This is how several of the Wal-Marts around the area where I grew up stopped selling fish. Corporate doesn't like unhappy customers, so if they will do what is necessary to keep you shopping there.

12-23-2012 04:11 PM

Trio123

I worked in a local fish store where we sold Bettas. I always felt bad for them but all I could do was change out thier water each evening and try to prevent children from grabing and shaking them. My question for you guys is how would you sell them?

In dedicated 5 gallon tanks? People like a variety to choose from, so you have to have at least 10. Even if you sold them in the main system in divided tanks that is a lot of space (5 divided ten gallon tanks) for one species. Either way it is a lot of equipment and time for cleaning that would have to be dedicate to betta sales, the price would have to come up a lot! And in turn customers would have to be willing to pay it.

Personally as a customer and previous employee at a fish store, I think people should pay more for fish and fish stores should put the money in to better, more comfortable systems.

12-23-2012 06:24 AM

Jeffww

A betta I bought from petco lived 5 years in an unheated 5g tank....

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